Gage for steam-traps and other purposes.



F. E. PENQI ETON. GAGE FOB STEAM TIAPS AID OTHER PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED IAY 3!. I912.

Patentbd July 18, 1916.

MEI/Ton.

WITNESSES mm B. IBENDLETOH, OF MONTCLAIB, .bl'EW JERSEY.

GAGE FOB, STEAM-MS AND OTHER P UlB-POSES.

Application also m 31, 1912. Serial no. moan;

To all whom it may concc'm Be it known that I, FRANK E. PENnLmoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Montclair, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful inafter description.

Although thisinvention is primarily intended to be used on a steam trap for the purpose stated, yet it may also be used with any type of vessel or other receptacle wherein is contained a liquid and superimposed vapor, such as aqueous ammonia with superimposed aqueous vapors, and such vapors as have a tem rature considerably above or below that o the surrounding atmosphere for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of such li uid at a certain point in the container. T is following descri tion of the invention, therefore, is not to construed as limiting its application to the devices hereinbclow set forth.

The invention will first be described as applied to a steam trap.

A steam trap is ordinarily designed to rovide means for automatically dischargin water from a steam pipe or vessel contaming a mixture of steam and some Waiter, without allowing any of the steam to escape. This result is ordinarily obtained by"providing within the trap a chamber wherein water may collect, and in the wall of such chamber an opening ordinarily closed by a valve, but which from time to time is opened to allow water to be discharged from the trap through said opening. This valve is operated in certain t pes of traps by what is known as a bucket oat, and in others by some form of air tight float which rises and falls with the change of the level of the water within the trap, or by the e ansion and contraction of a metal partof t e trap with changes in the temperature of said part. In all these traps a condition necessary 0 thei proper operati n 15 that a can Specification Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1916.

tain amount of water shall always be retamed and remain in the chamber within the trap. This bod of water provides at all times what is or inarily termed a water seal and may vary in depth from a few to several 1nches, the depth of the seal being the distance from the normal surface of the water 1n the tra to the level of the openin under the sur ace of the water througl i which the water is discharged from thetrap. The first mentioned style of strap permits the water to accumulate within the trap until the buoyancy of the float has been overbalanced, causing the float to sink, thereby opening the valve and discharging from the trap a quantity of water e ual in amount to all accumulations received y the trap since the previous 0 eration of the valve. In the second style t e float immediately operates when the accumulated water is above the seal to open the valve, thereby maintaining within the trap at all times the same amount of water. In either case, a certain amount of water, that is, the water seal, is retained within thetrap. However, if, due to any defect. of construction or wear or disarrangetnent of the parts, or due to the presence of foreign particles of scale in the water the valve leaks or does not properly seat, the water escapes, the water seal 13 de stroyed and the steam within the trap and within the pipe or vessel to which the pipe is connected, will escape from the opening in the trap, causing undue loss of steam.

The presence of the water seal indicates no loss of steam through the trap and the absence of the same indicates the loss of steam through the valve.

The usual means heretofore empl yed in certain types of tra s to indicate 6% presence of a water seal s to connect to e casing of the trap two valves of proper construction, one below the water seal and the other above the same, and to connect said valves by a glass tube in such manner that when both valves are open, water will flow into the tube to the level of the water in the trap. That construction is objectionable as the glass tube is liable to become dirty, obscuring the level of the water in the glass, and furthermore, the glass is liable to breakage which ma allow the escape of water and steam an thereby cause damage. In certain other types of traps it is not ossible to use even the gage glass describe The invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in whicht Figure l. is a longitudinal section of the same applied to a trap, the valve of which is operated by a bucket float. Fig. 2 is a modified form of the invention applied to the trap, having an air tight float for operating the valve.

Referring to Fig. l, A represents a trap having an inlet pipe B leading thereto. C re 'uesvuts the water in the trap; D the bucket float having a valve stem or rod E co targeted thereto which projects into the short. :e F. G is the-valve operated by said buenet. which is seated at H to close the ilptlltllig i. to which the outlet pipe J is connectL-d. The improved gage applied to this type of trap is marked T and consists of a tube 10, preferably of brass, open at one end 11, and closed at the other end 12, and provided intermediate its ends with a helix 13. T he closed end of the tube may be supplied with a removable cap or other device, or permanently closed by a seal or cap, but preferably by a valve 14, which normally closes said and of the valve but which may be opened. The diameter and the length of the tube may be varied according to conditions, but the diameter is preferably small in comparison to the length of the tube and the wall of the tube is preferably thin. When applied to the type of trap shown in Fig. 1, the upper end or top of the trap is provided with an opening a, through which the open end of the tube projects and eX- tends into the bucket below the normal level of the water contained therein, but above the lower end of the pipe F.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a trap A, having an inlet pipe B5, above the normal level of the water Q", contained in the trap. In said trap is ti" air 'tight float D, baring the valve stem E, carrying the valve G, which is seated on the seat H, to which the outlet channel 1" is connected, the outlet pipe J being connected to said channel. The open end 11. of the gage 'l", in this form, is connected to the opening 0.. in the wall of the trap below the normal leiel of the water contained therein. and the tube 10 is shown Without a helix, although it is evident that a helix may be provided between the two ends of the tube. In fact, the tube may be st aigh or bent in any shape or form, but it is preferably bent in the form of a helix, as shown in Fig. 1., or it may be straight, as shown in Fig. 2. In either case the tube is preferably so formed and conne .ted to the trap that it may freely (lraln ba k Into the trap any of the liquid that collects in the tube. v

(lpafll'ltliln of the invention is as followst When the normal amount of water is in the tra a portion of such water passes into th 3 who through the open end due to the pressure within the trap. If the upper or outer end ol the tube 1:; or l2 be closed by the valve ll or 11%, the air within the tube is forced to the upper or outer end. In this case although the water within the trap and the open end of the tube may be at a high temperature, evenequal to the temperature of the steam within the trap, yet when a. tube is properly [)I'OIlOlilOIlGtl in its length as compared with its outside diameter, the radiation of heat from the outer surface of the tube will be more rapid than the conduction of heat through the walls of the tube, or through the water or air within the tube. The temperature of the tube at its upper or outer end. therefore. will be so much lower than the steam or water within the trap that the hand may be held upon such part of the tube, and the presence of the proper amount of water within the trap thus readily determined. If the trap does not contain the proper amount of water the open end of the tube within the trap is exposed to the steam and the water in the tube will drain into the trap and be replaced by steam, and as the radiation of heat from the tube continues and the steam therein condenses, the condensate will continue to drain back into the trap and be continuously replaced by steam so that the temperature of the tube throughout its length will become approximately the same as the temperature of the steam so that the hand may no longer be held on the tube and the absence of the proper amount of water within the trap is thus de' termined. The use of a valve at the outer end of the tube is desirable as the air may be readily discharged, if desired, and any scale or grit which might otherwise collect Within the tube to choke it be removed. Furthermore, by opening the valve the discharge of Water therethrough Will be evience that the trap contains the proper Water seal.

The use primarily to which the invention set 'orth is intended to be put is to determin merely the presence or absence of a liquid in a vessel at a point at which the end of the tube is located within the vessel.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A steam tran consisting of a vessel containing steam an liquid. an inlet and an outlet therefor, a thermal indicator consisting of a tube of thin material and of a comparatively small diameter with relation to its length, said tube having an open end tapping the vessel at a point below the normal level of the liquid, the other end of the tube being at a substantial distance above the liquid as and for the purpose set forth- 2. A steam trap provided with a water seal, said trap having inlet and outlet ports respectively above and below the seal, a float valve controlling the outlet port, a thermal indicator consisting of a tube of thin material and of comparatively small. diameter with relation to its length said tube havin an open and connection to the trap betwee i rcspcetively above and below the seal, a float valve controlling the outlet port, a thermal indicator eonsistingof a tube of thinmaterialand oi" comparatively small diameter with. rniatii'n to itslength, said tube having an open and connection to the trap between the upper and lower level of the Water seal, the upper end of the tube having a valve therein and extending substantially above (he water seal as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A steam trap provided with a water seal having inlet and outlet ports respective'ly above and below the seal, a valve normally closing said outlet port, means for opening said valve upon an excess of liquid accumulating in the traps, a thermal indicator consisting of a connection to the trap to normally remove the water of condensation, means for filling the tube'with steam should the water seal be broken, substantially as and or the purpose set forth.-

. 5. A steam trap,"a liquid seal therein, a thermal indicator connected to the trap,

.m'eans for cooling; the indicator when the seal is effective, and means for heating the indicator when the seal is broken.

6.' A steam trap, a liquid seal therein, a thermal indicator consisting of a tube of thin material connected to the. liquid seal at one end and' the other end extending at a substantial distance above the seal, means to insure liquid entering the tube when the seal is effective, and means to insure the entry of steam in the tube when the liquid seal is broken.

In witnesswhereof I- have hereunto set my hand at the borough of Manhattan, city and State of New York, this 28th day of May, 1912.

FRANK E. PENDLETONQY In presence of I ISABEL R. RICHARDS, FnaNK EUFEMIA. 

